Nightmares
by Catheros
Summary: I don't know if any of you remember or watch The Dreamstone [a cartoon in the UK from the early 1990s] but I used to love it...initially based on a dream I had about a girl in the Land of Nightmares, now a longer story. FINALLY UPDATED!
1. Introduction...

Summary: I don't know if anyone remembers or still watches a cartoon called "The Dreamstone" but I used to love it when I was a kid. This is based on a little dream I had a few weeks ago, which caused me to remember it. Basically it's a girl standing alone in the Land of Nightmares…unless you ever watched it that probably means nothing to you but I hope that if you're reading out of curiosity you will appreciate this. It was a beautiful cartoon that seems to have disappeared off the face of Earth (in the U.K. anyway!).

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with "The Dreamstone" - when it was on in the U.K. about twelve years ago it was owned by Carlton and CITV, I don't know who owns it now but I'm just borrowing it and make no profit from this what so ever. However the girl described is my own creation.

Rating: PG just to be safe in case it's a bit "dark"…although I think I suck at dark writing…ah well.

**Nightmares**

It was dark, not complete blackness but gloomy enough for the mysterious aura of death to encircle every particle of anything that lived but most things had already fallen victim to it's merciless grip, lying forever frozen in time. The sky oozed with blood, a red curtain scattering over the endless horizon lifted high above the jagged rocks bowing beneath it's threatening form. The black clouds released their menace and anger as they rolled along engulfing what little light there was showering onto the barren landscape stretching for miles into nothing. They split open much like a skull fallen foul of an axe, powerful electricity jumped from it's prison of collective water droplets sheering through a rock face and scattering the disturbed boulders to the four corners of this miserable land.

She looked skywards from where she was silently standing, the thunder clap rumbling into her ears had broken her from her trance, her mind numbing activity of staring at the thirsty ground resting underneath her tatty leather sandals. She sighed, she did not belong here, and she wanted to leave this wretched place. A forceful gust of wind rushed past her, the hairs on the back of her slender neck stood on end prickling down her unhealthy flesh. Everything here was in a sickly state, skin remained white for no sun ever emerged to taint it. This land was truly one of nightmares.

That is the name of this forgotten place, the land of nightmares where even the very bravest of souls were drained of all colour at the thought of setting a single foot on its soils. Everywhere harboured a new danger, a hideous monster complete with hundreds of knife like teeth feasting on the bones of the dead, a creeper plant ready to trip the unwary, a steep drop into a bottomless pit around the corner of a towering mountain. If there was anything that being forced to live here had taught her it was to be cautious and selfish for ones own existence. The wind filtered through her black wire hair, she swept it back behind her hunched shoulders once the breeze died away and relaxed,_ he _was calling her.

The girl turned, picking up her great purple skirt between nimble fingers to avoid tripping herself towards the uninviting ground. Once at rest she looked back towards the aged footbridge hanging by a thread over a darkened chasm. It led to the centrepiece of this land - the Black Mountain of Viltheed. The sight of the ominous sphere of the Red planet of Doom hanging behind the tallest tower of the inferior mountain never failed to overpower her and make her jaw drop. In wide-eyed awe she felt helpless, drawn in by its beauty and wonder but sickened by its evil. She slapped a single hand over the chiselled features of her face to break the spell. She was young and could boast a well formed face had it not been for her time here. Fear and loathing for her current position had affected her greatly; once past her twenties she knew that age would show no thanks to the cruelty she endured. She had also lost her humanity over the few years she had been a prisoner in a land only found in the darkest corner of the most twisted mind. A little delightful girl had been replaced by a snarling teenager, every layer of her character torn away and sanded down leaving a bitter being in its place. It had been so long since another human being had crossed her path, emotions within her were as lost as a needle in a haystack. She pondered this and smiled - at least she could remember that needles and haystacks were part of a very cliché Earth saying.

Nobody would believe that a whole population of beings lived in a vast city beneath that mountain, it lay as still as the night with no sign of any other creature present in the entire surrounding area but this one lonely girl. The mountain had always scared her to the marrow in her delicate bones for its entrance was fashioned as the mouth of a dragon, lengthy stalactites and stalagmites rose from the roof of its mouth and the floor to form alarmingly realistic teeth. A pathway had been carved to one side of this mouth allowing access to the inside, the endless corridors and chambers within its gut but often this doorway bellowed with smoke or fire and the churning screams of those unfortunate enough to be in its path rang out towards the purple mist of Limbo - perhaps even heard in the so called forbidden land on the opposite side.

She chuckled to herself with a slight evil twang in her throat, she was only forbidden to journey there because there lay the happy, bright and care free Land of Dreams. If she were to succeed in travelling there she would never return and then where would _he_ be without his human slave running around to clean up the messes left by the other beings in their tireless quest to overthrow the most precious object to touch the entire planet with its magic, the object that by merely existing thwarted _his _plans.

Urpneys, she thought, the most useless creatures to wonder the planets surface with one exception. The surprisingly intelligent Frizz - her favourite. Frizz has always tried to understand her predicament, she had been taken away from those who loved her to a strange and frightening land, forced to serve a servant of evil and at the same time lost everything that made her human. He only understood because he was the only Urpney with half a brain in his head to question the environment he lived in and secretly the hierarchy he was forced to worship. He would never speak out, if he did so he would be banished to the Pit of No Return where disgusting water creatures would tear into his flesh with their mighty pincers and crunch on his defenceless bones with their enormous fangs. The only person he could talk to was the girl and he would do anything he could to help her find a way home but at the same time he too wanted to escape the place he dwelled through accident of birth. She saw him approaching across the footbridge, the look on his face was of concern and instantly she knew that he had been sent to bring her back inside before she could even think of running.

Urpneys are strange little creatures. They are about the height of a ten-year-old child and resemble very slightly a cross between a goblin and a dwarf. She often grinned at this observation whenever an Urpney came into sight. Their skin was of a leathery texture and quite pink, complete with purple blemishes upon their irregularly shaped noses. These spots were present on the small tails that sprouted from them, poking through their dark medieval styled clothing with three small spikes along the tip. Their eyes were rounded and wide giving them a permanent perplexed expression, framed by tufts of short multicoloured hair. Of course no Urpney had multicoloured hair, like humans they have many different shades but a wider natural range. As Frizz arrived at the girl's side stray strands of his pale blue hair were poking in an unruly manner from beneath the helmet resting idly on his head. He looked up at her with his black eyes and saluted her with a grubby hand above his bushy eyebrows.

"Madam…it is time to return, you belong inside where the Master can protect you…" he whispered as she knelt to his level to avoid straining against the now howling winds. She sighed and fingered at the hilt of her dagger absent mindedly, twisting it in the restraint, which held it to her belt. "I know you don't wish to stay here but if you fail to escape your fate is far worse, please come back inside…I'll have nobody to talk to…"

"You have your wish Frizz…I will return, but remember there is a world in that vast space above this awful skyline that is my home. It is my destiny to return there and forget the horrors of this place once and for all…I can feel it," she said, rising slowly to her feet. He bowed respectfully and offered a tiny hand for her to take, she did this with a sting of reluctance in her decayed heart and walked glumly as he led her back over the chasm towards the mountain. It was pathetic that her only friend was not even of the same species as her but she was glad of his company, she would have gone insane had it not been for his determination to make her feel welcome as a living being rather than a reluctant slave.

The teeth of the dragon dangled above her head now as they entered the mountain, the light of the Viltheedian day sunk behind them both leaving them in the dank bowls of the mountain ready to face the doom of their masters wrath. She loosened her grip on Frizz's hand and began to slip away into a cold memory. The memory of the night when her world had been shattered into a thousand fragments leaving her life as a useless shadow of its former self. A tear forced itself from the corner of her left eye and rolled down her cheek to let its presence be known. As the cold of that liquid surged across her skin she knew that all was not lost. If a memory could erupt emotions long buried to the surface once again then perhaps the time of her release was not too far away…maybe someday, she thought.

NOTES: Hmm can you believe all the details are from memory? I'll admit I have made Frizz out of character because from what I remember he was a little wimp! The rest of it is hopefully accurate…I don't know. I expect no reviews anyway because nobody ever remembers this cartoon! Ah well I enjoyed writing that, there could be more if my mind allows it…I have no idea where it would go but there is room for a story here don't you think?


	2. The girl...

Summary: I don't know if anyone remembers or still watches a cartoon called "The Dreamstone" but I used to love it when I was a kid. This is based on a little dream I had a few weeks ago, which caused me to remember it. Basically it's a girl standing alone in the Land of Nightmares…unless you ever watched it that probably means nothing to you but I hope that if you're reading out of curiosity you will appreciate this. It was a beautiful cartoon that seems to have disappeared off the face of Earth (in the U.K. anyway!).

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with "The Dreamstone" - when it was on in the U.K. about twelve years ago it was owned by Carlton and CITV, I don't know who owns it now but I'm just borrowing it and make no profit from this what so ever. However the girl described is my own creation.

Rating: PG just to be safe in case it's a bit "dark"…although I think I suck at dark writing…ah well.

The first part was a sort of prologue I suppose so this is the first chapter! Yay! I also spelt Villfeid wrong - it's actually Villtheed, the "Th" sound makes all the difference! The water creatures I mentioned are called "Frazznats" I was thinking about the whole cartoon the other day wracking my brains when suddenly I remembered! Oh the joys of boring school lessons…

Chapter one: 

She was surprised when not taken to the throne room as she had anticipated but her quarters instead. She paced grudgingly up the spiralling staircase into the heart of the central tower, her room had been carved into here gradually after the day of her arrival to make her feel more at home. The trouble was that it certainly wasn't a home comfort. Servants attended her every whim, not a single object in the room failed to glimmer with richness and it was even her authority to punish the disobedient. 

The room was very spacious, leading to a stone balcony facing the outside world giving a haunting, breath taking view of the nightmarish properties below, the height didn't bother her - she was only really half way up the tower anyway. From the simple wood panelled door she walked in, turning as she saw Frizz fumbling through an iron hoop of keys. He bowed uttering an apology before closing the rounded door behind him and locking it once the correct key had been found, for the tenth time this Villtheedian month she was under room arrest.

She walked over to the marble desk set against the right hand south facing wall and sat on the small wooden chair next to it, picking at the peeling golden paint on its arms and gazing at the green door on the same south wall that lead to what at least resembled a private bathroom. Opposite on the north wall was a great black four poster bed draped with royal red curtains and sheets completed by half a dozen gold pillows, embroided with silver tassels, scattered across the mattress. She picked up her jewel box from the desktop and walked across the fur rug thrown carelessly onto the floor and fell onto her bed. She heard Frizz's soft footsteps finally come to a fading diminuendo as he journeyed back to the bottom of the staircase, she knew that he had stayed and listened at her door for a while. Last time she had been locked in she had been discovered crying by her chamber maid amongst other things, she grimaced briefly at the crispy scabs developing on the underside of her arms, perhaps Frizz had remained out of concern for the second in command of the mountain.

She fought for quite some time with the rusting clasp of her jewel box before the lid snapped open, allowing a cloud of dust to escape as well as the simple items contained within the shallow bottom compartment. The wood material used to construct this box was in a much worse state on the inside, mould and damp had began to slyly eat away at it in the four corners. A distinct musky smell coiled into her nose, she gagged for air as it hit the back of her throat, coughing droplets of spit onto the fogged, cracked mirror stuck clumsily underneath the box lid.

She lifted a delicate gold chain from the centre of the small pile of various jewellery items and pulled it gently between her finger and thumb before observing the "I" pendant complete with three-minuet sapphire stones dangling from one of the links. The "I" stood for Iphigenia; the name given to her before her appearance on this world but for whatever reason she would probably never know. _He_ however probably did and so for whatever reason kept her name the same, referring to her by it for as long as she could remember.

Iphigenia replaced the necklace and slammed the jewel box lid down, soaking in the echo that rang out around the walls of her room, muffled by the rich tapestries hanging from them. With a sigh she placed the box on the stone cold floor and set about rolling the mattress of her bed up. She pulled up the hardboard underneath it to reveal a slight dip in the bed frame - a secret compartment. Here lay her brainchild of the past couple of years, her last grasp of an attempt to be freed. The only way to cross the mist of Limbo was to fly; thus she had pieced together a pair of magnificent wings.

It had not been easy; she had to brave many a mountain to steal feathers from discarded nests of the frightening birds of this land or take those plucked from the dish of the day served in the canteen, had it been a bird of course! The metal frame was courtesy of taking cutlery from the kitchens (having disobeyed on purpose to earn kitchen duty in the first place!) or a few strips from her bed frame. Candles handily served to melt the metal so that it was in the correct form; the pieces then welded together and the wax saved towards actually sticking the feathers onto it with the greatest care possible. She remembered this trick from a story told to her by a kindly voice long ago, the memory of who had done so was as blurred as where her name originated from - perhaps a similar myth?

She was interrupted by footsteps outside, this time much heavier than those of Frizz, ricocheting around the cylindrical walls of the main tower. Quickly she slammed the board back over her makeshift wings and cautiously unrolled her mattress, plus the bed sheets just in time for the impatient rap at her door.

"Madam! His Lordship wishes to speak with you immediately!" called the irritating and somewhat bossy voice of the Urpney commander - Sergeant Blob. Iphigenia despised him, he was one of two Urpnies involved in a power struggle with her. She was unquestionably and against her will the second in command over all in the Black Mountain, they both desired to be. When not bickering at one another they would turn their attacks towards the helpless Iphigenia. She sighed, she knew that Blob liked to think he was of more importance than her and it annoyed her right down to the marrow in her bones.

"Tell his Lordship that I can hardly grace the throne room with my presence when he has so kindly placed me under room arrest!" she snapped back bitterly. She rolled her eyes at the reply of yet another set of keys jangling, this time hurriedly on the opposite side of her chamber door. The key turned suddenly and the door creaked with a mighty groan as the Urpney commander pushed it open. Blob was taller than the likes of Frizz but you would not expect him to be, Blob lived up to his name - he was fat and lazy. The only way that you could really conclude that he has any kind of authority over anyone was the fact that his helmet was blessed with two sharp horns rather than the single spike of an ordinary officer. His hair was flaming red, a perfect match for his ill temper and explosive character and his eyes very suspicious looking, not of himself but anything else that ever crossed his path. "Do you know…when I was brought up here I was taught a little fact of life called manners? You Blob certainly have just shown lack of them!" growled Iphigenia, removing her dagger from its sheaf and picking under her nails with its sharpened point.

"Madam you are requested to go at once, I am not going back alone…" sneered the Sergeant, Iphigenia cringed at his insistence of adding random "h" sounds to various words, the way he talked had always irked her the most. Sometimes she felt like screaming at him - _it's AM not (h)am…learn to talk properly you blundering fool!_

"Tell him that I said no!…are you scared or something Blob? Ah of course you are, all Urpnies fear HIM don't they? What is he going to do about it? Turn you to stone! I can dream can't I?" Blob could not think of any more words to cut at her sharp tongue, luckily he was saved by a new but far from strange voice. It was that voice that had to power to sway the awkward mind of Iphigenia for deep down in the depths of her heart she was scared too, she had only developed the knack to hide it underneath layers and layers of unemotional coldness.

"Now Iphigenia! My patience wears thin!" the voice was low, an evil growl rumbling for several seconds after it had spoken around the whole of the mountain. Time stood still when ever it spoke all souls in its presence were quiet and not a single being stirred for they too no matter who they were shared an uncontrollable dread of it. Her mouth dropped, quivering in an attempt to find some lost words lodged in the back of her throat. Blob simply arched an eyebrow, content with his victory over her stubbornness he folded his arms and grinned smugly.

"Make yourself look presentable," he barked gaining a glare as a reply. The young woman rushed to another chair sat in a far corner of the room and picked up her heavy shoulder armour plating, she swiftly slung it over her back and shoulders buckling it in place with a hook necklace at the base of her throat. Two miniature spikes rested on each shoulder plate and the strip of metal around her neck resembled a dog collar, complimented by a family of even tinier spikes. Looking "presentable" in Villtheed basically meant that you dressed yourself as military looking as possible, all she had however was her dagger and some body armour, being a female and also so important she would never be asked to fight in any battles against the creatures of the other land.

"I will go but not by any form of convincing by you Blob!" hissed Iphigenia turning on her heels and storming out of the room down the flight of steps to ground level. The Urpney commander followed her with the knowledge that the wrath of his master was not to be tampered with, if Iphigenia began to behave out of control then what better way to prove that he is a more worthy right hand man than to come to his masters aid. "It is I he wished to see Blob and not you! Do not follow me or I shall break both of your legs!" called the girl as she reached the foot of the stairs. Blob hesitated, but in truth he feared the power that she held and so decided to travel elsewhere in the mountain to avoid a confrontation…

* * *

Once she had turned along the corridor at the bottom landing it was a long dark gloomy stretch of twisting caverns to the main chamber deep in the heart of the mountain itself. She shivered slightly, the dying candles lining the walls in elaborate candelabras at an interval of four paces did nothing, their pathetic flames merely spat in a desperate attempt to stay alive - their light was poor and so the heat offered by them was even worse. She relished in the fact that she couldn't see much, the walls were lined with grotesque carvings of dragons and various other baneful creatures curling around doorways and stalactites adding to the menace of the mountain.

She reached a single archway, guarded by two dozing Urpneys either side of it holding a spear each, raised almost to the ceiling. They awoke on hearing her approach, paying their respects by saluting her, she did nor said nothing in return. Instead she was admiring the red drape above the archway, it had a gold edge with beautiful stitching on the single gem encrusted letter that was set in the centre of it. She had seen this many times before but the grand scale of it had never ceased to amaze her, how so much trouble had been taken to emphasise the loyalty to a single being. The cold spiralled down her spinal cord once again but this time it was not the fault of the elements…

…Once stepping into the great room hidden behind that single archway there would be no turning back, she would have to continue her journey into the familiar unknown and face the meaning of terror himself. Upon reaching the end of the walkway Iphigenia would once again come face to face with the master of the mountain, the embodiment of evil, striker of vile horror into the hearts of the living, the Lord of all nightmares and the monster who never slept. Iphigenia, for her little excursion earlier that day was facing her punishment…she had dared to test the rage of he who often displayed a short fused temper. His name was enough to reduce anyone to a pitiable shaking mass of skin and bones…the name, which would be rarely uttered…Zordrak.


	3. Zordrak...

Wow I didn't realise people would remember this and seem so passionate about it. I have found a couple of fansites and a petition to get this show back on the air. If anyone wants links I'll put them up by request or email them to you.

Many thanks to Ólafur for emailing me. It made me realise I need to update this story desperately having just got over writers block again. Ólafur has helped me by making many wonderful suggestions because I hadn't a clue where I was going with this story but now I do so I have to give credit where it's due for some of the ideas in this story. 

Now I know there is a fanbase out there somewhere I'm worried that I'll be attacked for altering a few things slightly…eeek. On with the story!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anybody except Iphigenia so please don't sue me. I am just borrowing these characters from the people who created them

Chapter two:

Iphigenia was about to take the most harrowing journey of her life…again. She hesitated at the throne room doorway trying her best to take a tough stance. It was more out of habit than fear but needless to say a lump took up residence in her slender throat. She quickly swallowed with a tone of dread and scuffed forward a pace or two stopping in her tracks to pear into the gloom before her. She half turned to confirm her suspicions that Blob was now at her side clearing his throat and pointing a stubby finger towards the walkway at their feet. With a punishing glare of disapproval she stormed towards the middle of the crumbling walkway, jutting out over a great height into the vast dimness of the throne room. Only half-paying attention she soon crashed into another body and was sent flying into contact with the cold hard stone beneath her.

"Urpgore you idiot!" she yelled once her shaken vision had returned in all its normality. The scientist was instantly recognisable, his lime green skin a stand out feature against the uniform pink of the other Urpneys. A shock of bright pink hair stood tall upon his head, supported by an outstretched neck most likely caused by overly hunched shoulders. He folded his snake like arms across his grubby white lab coat in disgust.

"I was about to help you up ma'am…but I must say I am MOST insulted…" he literally spat, his words often difficult to decipher in-between childish sniggering. He offered a hand amidst teasing to help the unfortunate girl to an upright position; Iphigenia in a moment of sheer gullibility accepted this gesture. Urpgore was quick to swiftly remove his hand from her grasp reacquainting her with the floor and alerting roars of laughter from the Urpneys who until then had been silently dotted around the room. 

"Why you little...!" screeched Iphigenia leaping to her feet and closing her hands around Urpgores throat. A neck the thickness of a twig would be so easy to snap…

"Enough Iphigenia!" immediately she obeyed this growl after briefly digging her nails into his neck she dropped the dazed Urpney to the ground. Her nails had drawn a tiny trickle of blood, which came as no surprise as she spent the best part of her life in Viltheed filing them to a point. A strange illusion appeared to creep around the room making it darker, more bone chilling and the life of the candles now obsolete as a gush of frosty air strangled the small flames atop their wicks. Almost all of the Urpneys had curled up, crushing themselves into a ball to maximise contact with the floor as they shrank against it cowering for their lives. Iphigenia chuckled nervously and stepped onto the very edge of the walkway, a familiar and terrible sight loomed out of the shadows sat impatiently on its throne tapping the detailed skull carvings on each arm with razor sharp claws.

The gut wrenching sound of its voice was nerve shattering enough but the sight of Zordrak was a thousand times worse. This dragon like creature had an overpowering hold on any living creature in the Land of Nightmares and he knew it. Iphigenia curtseyed in a very fumbled manner to hide her increasingly violent shaking. It was in vain; Urpgore was giggling on noticing her obvious dismay. Iphigenia had the final laugh Zordrak fixed his horrid red and amber eyes on the foolish scientist, snarling as he frowned at him. Urpgore with a yelp of shock dove for cover behind Iphigenia, poking his head over her shoulder to speak.

"Oh master please forgive me for being so rude. Who am I to laugh in your presence, I beg forgiveness…"

"Silence!" bellowed Zordrak causing a deafening echo to thunder around the mountain; possibly taking out eardrums as it died down. Urpgore finally accepting defeat backed away, muttering under his breath with discontent. As much as he annoyed her Iphigenia felt less intimidated with another being standing nearby. Now she was alone, all alone…

"Sire…?" she stammered, only silence followed. "If I have done something wrong I would like to know because…erm yeah of course I've done something wrong otherwise why would I be here? I suppose I'm sorry and I'll go now…" she continued with her persistent shaking still evident in her voice. With another curtsey she turned steadily eager to walk away as quickly as possible.

"Where do you think youare going!?" snapped Zordrak bringing a brutal end to his silent treatment. Iphigenia faced him once again, stumbling slightly as her skirt twisted around her legs restricting movement.

"Back to my room my Lord…" she whimpered. His mouth curled up into a vicious snarl, revealing his gleaming pointed fangs enhanced in all their menace by the gloom. Another low growl rang out from his throat marking the fact that this strict lecture was far from over. Not even the second in command could escape the harsh rules surrounding life in Viltheed. Rule number one, had the rules actually been written down will have been to obey at all costs. She had most certainly broken this rule on more than just this particular occasion.

"You will not go anywhere without obtaining my permission beforehand Iphigenia" suddenly a surge of confidence rushed through Iphigenias veins after this last command. It agitated her so much that she was basically put under lock and key, he never explained why she was so heavily observed at every opportunity. Surely she wasn't **that** important. Her conversations with Zordrak had always followed this pattern; she'd be timid and frightened to begin with until he said something that would cause her anger to boil over…

"So that's what this is all about!" gasps of shock flew about the room as Iphigenia rose her voice out of turn. "Can I not go for a walk whenever I please! Is that so much to ask sire?"

"You…" replied Zordrak outstretching an arm and pointing a single claw mere inches away from Iphigenias nose "…shall have to learn to cease your endless disobedience child," that comment caused her to be pushed over the edge, not only was his tone on that awful word patronising it also hurt her pride. She was no longer a child and not even the dreaded Zordrak was going to get away with calling her one!

"Why should I!" she hissed slapping a hand over her mouth when the last breath was uttered in realisation of her stupidity. There was not a single jaw in the mountain that had not dropped open in disbelief. Frizz, being the whiney weakling that he is felt his knobbly knees fold inwards and in a flash he fainted into the arms of his lanky best friend Nug. 

"Because…" said Zordrak leaning forward slightly and amazingly keeping his temper from exploding "My life is not at stake," Without warning and thus throwing Iphigenia into a height of skull splitting confusion he harshly clamped his thumb and index finger around her vulnerable left wrist. She felt herself being lifted off the ground, automatically lashing out with her legs in hopeless desperation. Whiplash shuddered through the back of her head as Zordrak swivelled around ninety degrees on his throne dangling her above a large gaping hole in the throne room floor. Iphigenia reluctantly looked down, her eyes widening with terror and her arm beginning to partially become numb. 

"The pit of no return…" she gasped to herself. She tried to face her predicament bravely, pain from being suspended by the wrist had already shot up her arm and into her spine making it impossible to concentrate on this goal. She bit down on her bottom lip, drawing a small droplet of blood as the thin layer of skin cracked open in the process, in a despairing attempt to stop the impending whimper on the tip of her tongue. Her white skin now had a green tint due to the glow from the murky waters of the pit, rippling steadily but hiding a ghastly secret.

"Master this is taking things much too far. I must protest…grudgingly," Urpgore suddenly piped up boldly advancing forwards once again. He was correct, if his memory served him well the last thing the Lord of Nightmares ever wanted was the death of Iphigenia - his so-called greatest and most important investment. Zordrak turned slightly to deliver a discouraging glare to the scientist who had dared to question him. This sudden movement jarred Iphigenias spine and a shrill scream finally rolled off her tongue as one of his claws sheered into her flesh opening her old self inflicted wounds. Warm red liquid trickled down the brittle form of her arm, dropping onto her face as she craned her neck to inspect the damage. Tears were already burning underneath her eyeballs begging for release for the pain of her shoulder feeling as though it would tear from the socket made it all too much to bear. When the first pincer broke through the water violently disturbing the calm surface she began to kick out with her legs again making little progress and wasting a lot of energy.

"Please don't do this…" she pleaded in broken breaths amongst incoherent babbling. By this time all three of the Frazznats had emerged from their desolate underwater kingdom of bones and half-eaten corpses, their pointed noses held skyward on smelling the presence of fresh blood. The Frazznats were the last thing any disrespectful Urpney would ever see. It was not much of a life for these three shark creatures being kept in a cramped little pit but they had access to a regular food supply of Urpney flesh. Their streamlined snouts were wide-open baring rows of lethal teeth and their single ruby coloured eyes studying Iphigenia closely. They were hungry, their black and yellow bodies twisting with impatience. She cringed at the thought of her demise, their pincers were larger than her body. Once in the pathway of one her skeleton would most definitely be broken in half.

"Has this lesson sunk into your thick skull yet _child?_" asked Zordrak cruelly tightening his grip, the half-conscious Frizz flinched at the distinct crunching sound that followed this action. Iphigenia murmured in agony, too tired to argue and pleading inside her mind that she would be dropped or returned to solid ground.

"Please…don't…" she repeated weakly. Zordrak grinned in satisfaction chuckling to himself baring his teeth and horrible forked tongue, taking obvious delight her increasing suffering. Iphigenia closed her eyes shutting herself into complete darkness and wishing to never wake from it ever again. The Urpneys, even Blob and Urpgore who would usually relish in seeing Iphigenia destroyed, were all on their tiptoes gnawing on their fingernails still questioning what they were witnessing. Their pupils followed in union as their master flattened out his hand with an evil smirk at the same moment Iphigenia snapped open her eyelids and her bloody lips parted with a yell of terror. This all happened very quickly in a split second of time. To all watching it seemed as though she was being held aloft in the air for an age but they prepared themselves to watch her drop. This did occur…Iphigenias body was surrendered to the invisible force that is gravity…

****

To be continued…

I am so sorry about that! When I drafted out this chapter it was turning out to be a bit long compared to the other two so I had no choice but to leave a cliff-hanger there. I'll get to work on the next part, that is if anyone is still interested in this little story of mine. I also promise (for those of you getting bored of the Land of Nightmares) that I'll introduce the Land of Dreams to you all very soon. Thanks for reading and thank you for my reviews so far!


	4. Alive

This is a long overdue update of a VERY old story. I doubt many people are keeping an eye on this story now, because I haven't added anything to it in FOUR years! I can hardly believe it! Fact is, I lost interest in The Dreamstone for a while because I don't own any episodes other than the first three, and with no hope of acquiring the other 49 episodes, I didn't have anything to sustain my interest in it. However, recently, the DVD release brought the show to my attention again and I can't let this story just hang there when the plot is still very much alive in my mind!

I don't really like using this account to update it, but I have no choice. Most of my reviews/stories are 4-5 years old now, and I have to say I've removed most of them because "Nightmares" is the only one that I believe reflected any maturity in my writing. I do fear my style might have changed so much that it's obvious between chapter three and four that I am now nearly 21, as opposed to nearly 17. I'll give it a go anyway…just in case.

This chapter was originally intended to be longer, but I've instead just split up my original structure I still have the notebook containing the structure drafts! just so I can upload this as soon as possible.

DISCLAIMER: Usual applies; I don't own any of it except Iphigenia.

**Chapter Three:**

Iphigenia floated in and out of consciousness for several seconds. Her heartbeat raced in her ears, pounding into the darkest corners of her mind almost choking her with one glorious realisation. She was still alive. Her eyelids fluttered open, and a dull ache consumed her lower body. Her arms were restrained and her feet dangling like lead weights from her rapidly numbing ankles. She lifted her weary head, her vision coming slowly into focus and instantly knew what was holding her aloft. Zordrak had caught her, his tail coiled around her body threatening to crush her like a constrictor. In a final act of cruelty, he tightened his grip once he had observed she was awake. She gasped, too exhausted to cry out and breathing too restricted to even gasp in pain.

"Release me…" she muttered, head lolling to one side as her vision blurred again.

"Do you wish to address me, Iphigenia?" he growled. Raising her high enough for the Pit of No Return to enter her line of vision once again. Iphigenia rolled her eyes, though this was no deliberate action, she felt as though she was losing control of her own body.

"DROP ME!" she cried "do it, if you're going to end my life, just do it now, kill me!" she pleaded in an almost never ending stream. Most Uprneys at this point were begging for their lives, Iphigenia had shocked them all once again by welcoming death.

"You imagine I would be foolish enough to kill you?" replied Zordrak, lifting Iphigenia in front of him, and after one final squeeze against her already battered rib cage, lowering her gently onto one of his palms. She reacted defensively, drawing her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs, her gaze averted from her terrible master. "Look at me Iphigenia!" he demanded, and so she did albeit with tears that she was desperately trying to will away scorching her eyes.

Urpgore had realised the extent of Iphigenia's distress and made no attempt to hide his sniggering. It tore through Iphigenia's already tattered pride and for this first time since this agonising punishment had begun, she allowed herself to sigh.

"Urpgore! Be gone from my presence!" snapped Zordrak, momentarily fixing his gaze upon the scientific advisor with disdain.

"Master! I see no need…"

"Exactly, fool! I see no need for you at present, get out of my sight!" he hissed, only turning back to Iphigenia once he was sure that Urpgore had truly skulked off. Even the alleged Urpney favourite knew not to test Zordrak, and so much to his own regret had to bow his head, hunch his shoulders and slip away from the throne room without a word. Naturally this was another occurrence to add to the long list of reasons why he hated Iphigenia, and also why he wished he were Lord of Viltheed instead.

"Forgive me, your Lordship" said Iphigenia suddenly, her voice surprisingly lacking a tremble. Without a word, Zordrak lowered her back onto the walkway, which was quite unexpected. He rarely performed any acts of kindness to the point where many believed he had no concept of it. However, instead of being thrown to the floor like a toy, Iphigenia found herself being placed back on the ground upright. She winced at the memory of three broken ribs on the occasion when Zordrak, in a temper with literally everyone in Viltheed, had flung her half way across the walkway and into the wall at the side. She was fortunate to not have repeated such a painful re-acquaintance with solid land.

"Return to your chamber" were her instructions, and rather than remain poised on the walkway awaiting further communications, Iphigenia simply curtsied and turned hurriedly, heading towards the exit as quickly as possible. The remaining Uprneys followed her in silence, daring not to speak to one another or look back at their master. Zordrak simply reclined in his throne and closed his eyes with only the hiss of the Argorribles at his feet disturbing the quiet in the air.


	5. The Light

**Chapter Four:**

While Iphigenia's troubles for the day were just ending, far away from Viltheed in the so-called "forbidden land", the chaos of the oncoming evening was just beginning. Through the purple Mist of Limbo, lay a land that did not suffer from perpetual darkness but instead experience the more typical cycle of the sun rising and setting much like on Earth. This land was better known as the Land of Dreams, also home to the old Dreammaker. He too was surrounded by creatures native to the land in which he resided; however unlike Urpneys the Noops were not enslaved. They co-existed peacefully in their basic small town surrounding the magnificent shape of the Dreammaker's Castle elevated in the centre.

The Dreammaker and Zordrak were enemies. It was not known exactly how long they had feuded but all races inhabiting this planet were somehow effected by their mutual abhorrence and had been for as long as anyone could remember. The Noops did not begrudge the Dreammaker's presence for the simple reason that as long as he remained, they would all sleep peacefully at night enjoying the dreams that he sent to them. Zordrak's power was no match for that of his adversary. Though occasionally some of his nightmares did manage to slip through and terrorise a poor defenceless Noop as he or she slept.

This petite race of harmless looking creatures is easily recognisable through one characteristic, that they all had light green fur. They are a little shorter than Urpneys but definitely more pleasing to the eye. Like Iphigenia with the Urpneys, the Dreammaker towered over the Noops but most of them rarely saw him.

Rufus and Amberley were not in this category, for they worked for the Dreammaker and were extremely busy assisting him by the time dusk threatened to consume the land. Each dream bottle, containing a mixture of ingredients from the wildest of fantasies, had to be transferred to the main tower of the castle. As always seemed to happen at least once a week, this activity was running late, a matter not helped by the Dreammaker's pet watchdog-fish Albert, who swam through the air around his master, demanding attention.

"Albert, not now please," sighed the Dreammaker, pausing to push his spectacles up the ridge of his nose before floating with haste up to the main room of the tower with the remaining few dream bottles. Amberley and Rufus were waiting patiently, guarding a single object placed upon a pedestal in the centre of the room. The legendry Dream Stone shimmered and sparkled in the fading daylight, the full beauty of its power already displayed in the fact that it glowed even stronger once it sensed the presence of its keeper. Rufus rushed forward to relieve the Dreammaker of the last dream bottles while Amberley simply clasped her hands against the skirt of her dress, awaiting further instruction attentively.

"Is there something bothering you today sir?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh don't trouble yourself my dear…" replied the Dreammaker as he stepped up behind the Dream Stone pedestal, reaching for the dream bottles that Rufus had carefully arranged on the smaller pedestal next to it, pouring them delicately over the stone. "I'm just worrying myself somewhat un-necessarily, we've heard nothing from Viltheed for weeks now,"

"Isn't that a _good_ thing?" Rufus asked wide-eyed.

"Hmm, normally I'd say yes. However, you know from experience that Zordrak is not one to give up easily. I have become accustomed to having to deal with at least one attempt at stealing the Dream Stone a week,"

"Maybe we should just enjoy the peace?" said Amberley, taking the empty bottles from the Dreammaker and setting them down on the marble floor beneath their feet.

"You can, but I can't. I feel he's up to something, something big. The more time that passes, the more I learn to anticipate that something is heading from Viltheed that will bring chaos upon us all once again…"

* * *

The Dreammaker's fears were a lot more realistic than he believed, though it was no planned threat that decided to launch itself upon the Land of Dreams that night. It was one desperate young female, trying anything to escape her imprisonment in darkness…

* * *

Iphigenia remained perched on the end of her bed until what passed for the middle of the night in Viltheed. She sat crossed legged, sharpening her dagger with an increasingly tiny stone she had picked up from her walk earlier. The Uprneys had retired for the night, and her chambermaid had already visited her to check that she was about to retire for the evening. Cassandra did not bother Iphigenia; she was loyal and always leapt to Iphigenia's defence when either Blob or Uprgore were lynching her at every opportunity. Iphigenia was thankful for Cassandra, perhaps the only beautiful Urpney in existence, and always ensured that she was safe from any collective punishments inflicted upon the rest of the Urpneys.

Once she was sure that all except for Zordrak were slumbering though Zordrak was not omnipresent she quietly rolled up her mattress and removed that same board to expose her makeshift wings, still in the safe place that she had left them. After packing a small bag that she secured tightly around her waist, fastening it to her belt for good measure, she set about attaching her wings to her arms.

She knew what she was about to attempt was dangerous, disobedient but most of all tiring. If she managed to even reach the Mist of Limbo, her arms would already be aching from the punishment she was putting them through. However, once into the mist she would not be able to rest. Storm clouds and toxic gasses forming the appearance of a hideous skull would surround her, threatening to strike her down and send her falling to her doom. If she managed to pass through Limbo, she would still have a long journey ahead of her through the dense green forests protecting the Valley of the Noops. She didn't even want to think about what would happen to her if she were caught escaping or captured by Urpneys en route.

She shivered as she stepped out onto her balcony. The Land of Nightmares was exceptionally dark and she could hear the blood-curdling calls of creatures from unexplored territory many paces away from Viltheed. Boldly, she stepped up onto the lip of the balcony and stretched out her arms, there was thankfully a slight breeze to get her started once she leapt from the carved rock currently supporting her. With a sigh, she turned to take once last look at the Red planet of Doom above Viltheed, the only light in the sky. Then she was gone, soaring through the cold night air.

* * *

The Dreammaker was napping in a great chair in his study, resting from the night's activities of sending pleasant dreams to the Noops in his care. His sleep was suddenly interrupted as Rufus burst through the study door without knocking, the morning sun filtering through from the windows in the corridor outside.

"Rufus! Whatever is the matter?" demanded the Dreammaker sitting up with a start.

"I was walking around the village with Amberley and Albert and then suddenly there was a scream and we didn't know what was going on and I was thinking about what you said yesterday so I was quite frightened but not enough so I went to investigate and there was…"

"Rufus, slow down, slow down! I can't understand a word you're saying when you speak so rapidly!"

"Well…" Rufus continued, pausing briefly to catch his breath. "Something's landed in the village! And it's not an Urpney…but it does have pink skin…"


	6. Success

NOTE: In the original cartoon I am fairly sure that the council of dream-makers was still intact. In the interests of drama I decided in my original plans that I'd get rid of most of them, think of it as a sort of _Doctor Who 2005_ complex! I don't think it'd be productive to explain the back-story; it'd bog down my narrative. If anyone reading can't quite remember, basically the Dreammaker was the Grand Highest of the council of dream-makers and banished Zordrak for abusing his powers. Thus the revenge-arc (why he's determined to get the Dream Stone) of the series has an explanation.

Sadly there's a lot of dialogue in this chapter so I've had to neglect a lot of description.

**Chapter Five:**

The Dreammaker did not give Rufus any more time to explain. Instead he floated with speed out of his study and through the main door into the castle gardens. Rufus sighed heavily and began to jog behind him, his breath only just steadied from his previous exertions. Before exiting the garden gate, the Dreammaker paused to allow Rufus to catch up with him. Rufus's shoulders dropped and his ears flattened against his head when he realised that allowing him a breather was not the first thing on the Dreammaker's mind.

"Where are we going?" he asked, not even turning to see if Rufus was at his side.

"Outside…the bakery…" came the staggered reply.

"And what is this creature that's not an Urpney?"

"I don't know sir," gasped Rufus. "All I know is, it's a girl, and she's young. She looks a little bit like…I don't know, perhaps a similar people to yours?"

The Dreammaker stopped suddenly, which undoubtedly confused Rufus for he skidded and almost stumbled over onto the cobblestones. With a look of sheer seriousness on his face, the Dreammaker crouched down and steadied Rufus, glaring at him almost in sorrow.

"Rufus that is impossible, I've told you before. Most of my people are dead, Zordrak made sure of that. Those who remain are scattered to the winds, and they're definitely not young females"

"I know, I was just making a comparison," replied Rufus as the two of them began to make haste once more, heading straight toward the bakery in the centre of town. Upon arrival a crowd of Noops awaited them, ever swelling as more heard the news of this strange new creature. On the raised pathway directly outside the bakery, Amberley and Mr Muffin were both kneeling over what appeared to be a pair of broken wings covering a twisted mass that was clearly a body. Metal strips and stray feathers were scattered across the pavement, while clumps of melted wax were solidifying in the morning sun.

"Good morning Mr Muffin, could you tell me exactly what happened," requested the Dreammaker sternly.

"Well sir, I was opening my shop as usual this morning and it was just…lying there, I had heard a crash a little while beforehand but thought it was just some youngsters playing before school. Then I realised it'd smashed through my outside table and there were all these feathers everywhere…" came the reply as the baker, colour drained from his furry cheeks, rose up from the floor.

"Those are makeshift wings, they must've come apart when the sun hit them, I do believe she did quite well to get this far in the first place…"

"This far, sir?" asked Amberley, feeling an unexplained shiver come over her.

"That appears to be a purple gown, there is only one other being on this world known to sport such a colour…" the crowd fell silent but their bodies subconsciously leaned forward, hanging onto the Dreammaker's every word "…that is a colour of regal status…in Viltheed!"

"Are you sure?" a nervous tremble was evident in Amberley's voice as she returned her gaze to the mass sprawled in front of her.

"There's one way to be sure…" the Dreammaker knelt to the floor next to the obviously unconscious girl; gently he turned her over slightly and brushed her now untidy black hair from her deathly pale face. With caution, he turned his attention to her left arm and slowly pushed back the sleeve of her gown, rolling the excess material to the shoulder plates of her armour. His eyes widened and then his head fell seemingly in disbelief. He shook it from side to side, lamenting the single letter tattooed on the girl's upper arm. He had exposed a mark of ownership, a letter "Z" akin to those found in illuminated manuscripts. "It's all coming true…" he whispered to himself, trying to ignore the alien feeling of fear brewing in the pit of his stomach.

"Does that stand for…?" Rufus hesitated in finishing his sentence.

"Yes, I'm afraid it does and I sense there is the presence of dark magic flowing through her veins"

"What are we going to do with her?" asked Amberley.

"Take her back to the castle. She came here for a reason, and as she hasn't brought any Urpneys with her I can only guess it was on her own terms. There's something not quite right here," the Dreammaker stood motioning to a couple of young adult male Noops to pick up the girl and carry her.

"Are you sure that's wise?" enquired Mr Muffin.

"When she wakes up, I need to ask her questions, and to make sure she doesn't try anything aggressive I need a secure environment. As for the rest of you, tell no-one else of what has occurred here," and with that the Dreammaker, Rufus, Amberley and Albert led the way as the two other Noops struggled to carry the girl to the Dreammaker's castle.

* * *

When Iphigenia awoke, her head was in pain and her limbs tingling as the numbness rushed from them. At first she though she was paralysed, for she couldn't move even though she could feel her body reawakening. As her eyelids fluttered open and her eyes eventually able to focus, she realised she was sitting in a chair in an unfamiliar room. It was mostly unfamiliar because it was light but partially due to the lack of barbaric appearance of her surroundings. She noticed that the chair was actually quite comfortable; it was red and constructed of wood and plush cushions. She attempted to turn her head but it was futile, her entire body was locked in place.

"I'm sorry, I had to put a restraining spell on you just in case" the voice speaking to her was kindly, one that obviously belonged to a being whose years confirmed its wisdom. She looked across the room to the direction of her companion's soft tones. There, sitting directly opposite her was an old man dressed from head to toe in blue and with a beard that rivalled the white of snow.

"I…please don't make me go back!" spluttered the girl, a look of terror shading her almost colourless face.

"There will be time for demands in a moment child, but first what is your name?"

"Iphigenia…and I'm _not_ a child!" she spat back.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend young lady," said the Dreammaker, sounding semi-hostile.

"It's…I'm sorry too. It's just _he_ calls me that sometimes and I don't like it,"

"And who is he? Are you from Viltheed?" asked the Dreammaker, touching his gloved fingertips together and forming a steeple with his hands as he leaned forward with interest.

"I dare say you know, I think I know who you are…" replied Iphigenia, her eyes glistening with a knowing wickedness "…Dreammaker" he shuddered as she spoke his name, the tone and pronunciation had sounded eerily similar to how _he_ would say it.

"Yes, Zordrak, undoubtedly your master, and I have a long and painful history…"

"I'm so confused," said Iphigenia suddenly.

"Whatever for?" asked the Dreammaker, standing to release her from his spell and offering her a hand to help her to her feet. "Careful, you'll still feel a bit groggy while the spell wears off" he warned as he noticed her forehead creasing as she tried to work out why standing was proving such a chore.

"I'm supposed to hate you, yet you've been nicer to me in five minutes than he ever has in twelve long years…" sniffed Iphigenia, so sure that she was about to cry again "…he hurts me sometimes. Then he says I'm important so he can't kill me and sings my praises and demands I be given gifts and obeyed as much as he is…"

"Zordrak is very cruel, he does not know affection, else he wouldn't be determined to blanket the world with never ending nightmares. If I know my enemy, which I do, it must be killing him to have to be even remotely nice to you," replied the Dreammaker, placing an assuring hand upon Iphigenia's shoulder. On impulse, he drew both his arms up around her and joined them at her back, pulling her into a warm and fatherly hug. To his surprise, for one so deprived of affection, she responded and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head against his shoulder with a loud sob. He shushed her, patting her on the back as though she were a very young child cursing in his mind the psychological damage a childhood in Viltheed, rather than on her home planet had obviously caused her.

Before either of them could ask any more questions, the great wooden door leading to the corridor flung open and this time both Rufus and Amberley stormed through, both in a state of shock and a hint of betrayal.

"Sir! You must come outside quickly! It's the Whirlyped!" yelled Amberley, glaring at Iphigenia with disgust as she slipped back into her chair.

"The Urpneys are here! They're here for the stone! She's obviously tricked us!" snapped Rufus, he too glaring at Iphigenia who now had a hand slapped across her face and was shrinking back into the chair, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"Iphigenia! Is this true?"

"No, no it's not, I swear. They're not here for the Dream Stone, they're here for _me_, I ran away…I'm in so much trouble" she stood, visibly shaking and tears streaming freely down her face. "You've GOT to hide me! Please don't let them take me back, I'll do anything…"

A loud rapping at the main door of the castle followed, accompanied by the unmistakable and obnoxious voice of Sergeant Blob.

"Dreammaker! We demand to negotiate with you! You 'as got something that belongs to us"

"Please" pleaded Iphigenia amongst all the knocking and outbursts courtesy of Rufus claiming that she was from Viltheed so wasn't to be trusted. The Dreammaker looked at her half with sympathy and half with doubt, now facing the very difficult decision of whether to believe her or not. He sighed, preparing to deliver his verdict and at the same time risk the safety of one of the most precious objects in the known universe all for the sake of a frightened young woman…


	7. Survival Instincts

I know I'm updating a lot, but it's exam term and after a 9-5 day of history revision I prefer to relax in the evenings, hence working on this story. It's keeping me occupied even if I've got no fans! It's getting interesting now, I promise.

I also realise that in my earlier chapters I misspelled "Urpgor" – if there's any purists reading, I'll sort that out eventually but for now I'll just leave it at this new chapter.

**Chapter six:**

The Dreammaker remained silent for what seemed an age. For one with so much wiser than any other even he genuinely didn't know what action to take. He knew he shouldn't trust Iphigenia, after all she was being mentored by his former colleague, who he had stupidly trusted many ages ago and eventually paid the price. Yet he could see the years of hurt, the neglect and the pain of longing to be released flashing through Iphigenia's mind. There was an honest vulnerability in her youthful face. Against his better judgement he gave into sympathy

"Rufus, hide her, I shall deal with our Urpney problem," he ordered, maintaining a neutral stance while Iphigenia's face lit up with gratitude.

"But sir…" Rufus protested, shrinking away from Iphigenia as she moved towards him, the rustle of her great skirts against the floor proving quite intimidating.

"Rufus! There is no time, just do as I say, please! Amberley…you come with me,"

Rufus sighed. Reluctantly, he outstretched a paw, curling his fingers as an invite for Iphigenia to take his hand. After a moments hesitation Iphigenia slipped her hand into his, though he was only able to clutch hold of her fingers, as her hand was a substantial size larger than that of a tiny Noop. She noted that his hand was soft, the warmth of his fur almost comforting. It was a sharp contrast to holding the grubby hand of an Urpney and definitely preferable to touching the cold scales that adorned Zordrak's flesh. However, she had little time to meditate on this thought as Rufus gave her arm a hard tug, forcing her to run from the study and into the corridor towards a set of double doors, framed by a gothic arch and decorated with a single gigantic star that straddled the divide between the two separate panels.

"This is the laboratory," Rufus said, quickly slamming the doors shut behind them. Iphigenia was transfixed. This was truly the most beautiful room in the entire castle that she had seen so far. The ceiling was a magnificent painting of the night sky, complete with stars that appeared to actually twinkle and planets from all across the universe entwined with a hypnotic deep blue stretching across the room. The floor was white with black marble patterns twisting and turning towards various bronze instruments, clearly used to create the different ingredients required to make a dream. Curling around three quarters of the wall space were great bookcases, reaching for the stars painted above them boasting volumes of wisdom on matters she never even knew existed. The remainder of the wall space was painted a delightful pale blue, with a smattering of clouds that appeared to move as though there were a natural wind present.

"This is beautiful…" she gasped, still taking in every last detail around her.

"Yes well, you live in Viltheed. A hideous big rock with little scenery, of course it's beautiful" replied Rufus, almost disinterested to underline his instant dislike of her. "Anyway, we have no time for this!"

"Where exactly do you plan to hide me then?" demanded Iphigenia. Rufus's ears flattened against his head at her harsh tone, he didn't like a servant of Zordrak speaking down to him and certainly didn't like the difficult situation he now faced. He could hide her behind the false bookcase…but this was a danger area, for once there she would be at the foot of a great spiral staircase that led directly to the uppermost room of the tower. Luckily, the door was safely locked, however it was still a risk. Yet she was looking at him now with that same fear in her eyes that had won over the Dreammaker. With another sigh, he led her over to a bookcase in the corner, and pulled down a volume on the top shelf.

"Hide behind this, DO NOT go anywhere! You should be safe, the Urpneys are usually too stupid to remember there's a secret entrance to…" Rufus stopped, for all he knew Iphigenia might not have been told the Dream Stone was kept in a room in the tower and he had very nearly given the game away. "Never mind…" he muttered, giving her a violent shove in the direction of the corridor he had just exposed.

"But…" Iphigenia's protests were met only with a look of contempt as Rufus moved to push the book back in place, and the bookcase slid into a locked position. Iphigenia slumped back against the wall behind her, shivering upon touching the cold bricks and then noticed there was a staircase to her left, with candles in elaborate golden holders at equidistant intervals following the curve of the entire structure.

She knew that she had been instructed to remain behind the bookcase, but curiosity seized her and she tiptoed towards the bottom step, straining her neck to see how far the staircase actually went and observing it must have been quite far, for the light of the top most candles wasn't strong enough to fight against the gloom of this windowless tower. The staircase appeared endless, and once she was at the top she felt quite breathless but not tired enough to be exhausted of her curious nature. A single door with a simple "welcome" mat at its foot awaited her, but when she tried to open it she discovered it was locked. All that was running through her thoughts was that this was another room to hide in. She never considered what might lie beyond this simple wooden door.

"What was it my parents used to say? Always keep a spare key somewhere near?" she asked herself, amazed that she could still remember her parents for she had been only six years old when she was taken. She crouched down and instinctively lifted up the mat. Entering the room by normal means was less likely to draw attention to her, she aimed to be as quiet as possible as she slowly turned the silver key in the lock and pushed the door open just enough to slip through.

This room was even more beautiful than the last. It was as though she had literally stepped out into space, stars surrounded her and each panel creating the circular shape of the room had the same crystal-like planet painted upon it. Then out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a brightly shining object sitting alone on the pedestal proudly placed in the centre of the room. The realisation finally hit her; she was in the presence of the Dream Stone.

"It looks quite small…kind of pathetic actually," she mused to herself. "This _thing_ is what stops Zordrak from being all powerful? I'm quite disappointed," she said advancing forward. The light radiating naturally from the stone appeared to grow brighter, so much that she had to raise an arm up to shield her eyes. However, it soon faded again but continued to glow in its core quite violently, as though wary of Iphigenia.

"How novel! A stone doesn't like me…I guess you can sense I know Zordrak…wait a minute…I'm talking to a stone!" she rolled her eyes and placed a hand on one of her hips, adopting an offensive stance and unsure what to do with herself.

"Rufus! Get out here! We can't stop them, they don't believe us!" Amberley's muffled voice from outside rang around the tower room and Iphigenia's heart began to race. She was effectively trapped, judging by the commotion outside some Urpneys had forced their way into the castle, and if she reached the high windows of the tower there was no guarantee she could get onto the ground without being seen. Still, it was quite appealing as she raised her chin to assess the height of the tower. Then she found herself focusing her attention on the stone…

"I can't" she wailed "Although, if I do get captured…" it was selfish of her and blatantly taking advantage of the Dreammaker's kindness but if she was taken back to Viltheed she would have no excuse for her behaviour, taking the stone would be the perfect alibi. Zordrak coveted the Dream Stone above all else; she could disguise her disobedience as a secret plot to bring him the Dream Stone! Her decision was made, and the shouting inside the castle confirmed there was no time to change it. She snatched the stone out of its container and pushed it into her bag, condemning its light and its power into darkness. Once in Viltheed, it would remain in such darkness forever.

With care, she climbed up the nearest panel behind her and grasped the lip of the windowsill above it; she had calculated that she had picked a window that would take her into the back gardens of the castle. In her subconscious mind, she was hoping she would not be captured and could return the stone safely, however this was something of which she could not be assured. With the window cracked open just wide enough for her to slither through, she moved slow enough to observe everything that was occurring around her, and was pleased to see that nobody was present at the back of the castle. Once her body, followed by her legs, was through the window, she turned around and prepared to lower herself down the tower wall and finally onto the ground. She made sure her bag was secure around her waist for the extra weight of the stone threatened to pull it away from her and then began her decent. Eventually, her feet settled on the grass below and she exhaled heavily, relieved that her ordeal had almost been worth it.

"Gotcha!" a voice, belonging to Nug ruined her moment of peace. Without any time to defend herself, Iphigenia found her arms being seized and forced behind her back as they were tied together with rope that instantly cut into her wrists.

"I'm so sorry…" whined Frizz as Iphigenia turned to him, slightly hurt as he emerged from behind her as Nug secured her bonds.

"Well, well, well young ladyship. It h'appears you're in a spot of bother," grinned Blob, attempting to appear taller as Nug forced Iphigenia to duck down slightly. "His lordship is very displeased with you…explain yourself"

"I'll only explain myself to his lordship then" Iphigenia spat back. Nug prodded her in the back with his dagger, causing her to step forward towards the Whirlyped, handily parked a matter of paces away from the site of her recapture.

"He's really angry. I don't like it when he gets angry. Gives that creep Urpgor an excuse to get all high and mighty," said Frizz, feeling dejected when Iphigenia didn't reply to him.

"Come along men, let's h'escort Lady Iphigenia back to Viltheed…" ordered Blob, marching in front of Frizz and Nug as they lead a reluctant Iphigenia towards the Whirlyped. Little did they know as they encouraged her up the ladder leading to the hatch underneath the wing of this bird-shaped craft, that clutched against Iphigenia's stomach was the ultimate bargaining tool and also prize. She was about to show up every Urpney who had ever attempted to secure the Dream Stone by successfully stealing it on her first attempt…

* * *

By the time the Whirlyped had launched and disappeared, Rufus had only just realised they had taken Iphigenia. He had seen the half-open window of the tower and drawn the correct conclusion, she had attempted to escape and failed. However, Iphigenia's well being was the last thing on Amberley's mind.

"Rufus you idiot! You let her in the tower?"

"She was more bothered about hiding! Besides…it's not like she could've got into the Dream Stone room…and…oh…she obviously did!"

Before Amberley could chastise Rufus any further, the Dreammaker approached them, a grave look cast across his face and his shoulders hunched highlighting his newfound distress. From inside the tower, the distinct sound of Albert barking over and over rang out. The two young Noops instantly knew something was amiss.

"I know, they took her, poor girl…" said Rufus but the Dreammaker shook his head, his mood clearly changed from one of sympathy for Iphigenia.

"It's not that, not that at all. First of all Rufus…I am very disappointed in you. The tower, what were you thinking?"

"But I…" the Dreammaker raised a single hand to silence him, and Rufus drew back, deep down he knew what was about to be said.

"Second of all, we are in great danger. For Iphigenia has taken the Dream Stone…"


	8. Back in Viltheed

**A/N: **Hello...after another year of no inspiration and lack of motivation, I picked up this story again. I've written another two chapters. At this rate I should be finished by 2010! I'm quite frustrated with myself because I seem to have lost the ability to describe things in perfect detail, but I figure the only people really reading this know the original cartoon anyway.

**Usual disclaimer applies: I don't own any of it except for Iphigenia. **

**Chapter seven:**

With the Whirlyped now well into its short flight back to Viltheed, Blob clambered down the metal stairway from the cockpit and stopped just short of his two subordinate officers. Frizz and Nug were visibly tired, cycling in circles on an elaborate set of golden gears. Frizz was almost slumped over the handlebars, being the shorter of the two he had to work twice as hard. For once in his life, Nug was grateful to be a taller Urpney, even if it meant he stood out when the entire company was assembled. Blob made a brief glance at Iphigenia resting on her legs in the opposite corner and straightened his spine.

"Ok men, set the pedals to auto-pilot!" he barked. With a joint sigh of relief, both Urpneys flicked a switch on their handlebars that caused the pedals to turn of their own accord. Frizz remained slumped in his seat, while Nug enthusiastically jumped from his and landed not too far away from Iphigenia. "I think it will be wise to further restrain her ladyship…I h'am sure it's just a precaution"

"I think you're forgetting something Blob. I am still the second most important being on this planet…don't push your luck!" hissed Iphigenia, wriggling against the bonds around her wrists.

"I don't like it when she talks like that…" Nug whispered under his breath to Frizz "…she sounds like Zordrak" Frizz simply nodded.

"Be quiet men! And do as I say, a rope to secure her h'arms against her body…leave just enough to lead her. Stops her from trying anything…."

"What do you think I'm going to do Blob? Fly off!" snapped Iphigenia. Blob advanced forward and leant towards her, lowering himself to her temporarily reduced height. He exhaled sharply and turned the corners of his mouth up into an expression of displeasure.

"You h'obviously got to the Land of Dreams without a problem!"

"Don't try to be intimidating Sergeant, you can't manage it. Besides, you know as well as I do I only possess the same powers that _he_ does. There's nothing I can do that he can't do. And oh yes…if memory serves, he certainly can't fly!" snarled Iphigenia.

"Secure the fugitive!" with that Blob stormed back up to the cockpit, one eyeball pulsating with annoyance. Iphigenia chuckled and relaxed her shoulders, willingly accepting the rope that was being wound around her arms and waist. The Whirlyped was almost as the Mist of Limbo, and so Iphigenia decided to be quiet, enjoying the rest of the journey secretly smug.

* * *

Back in the Land of Dreams, the usual state of panic descended upon the Dreammaker's castle. It was becoming all too familiar that whenever the Urpneys actually succeeded in capturing the stone; the first course of action was for everyone to blame Rufus. The young apprentice stood silently in the corner of the laboratory with his gaze downcast. Amberley was already well into her almost note-perfect stream of accusations. The Dreammaker was relatively calm, beginning the second typical course of action that involved contacting the Wutts. These tall, green, leaf-loving creatures dwelled in the forest that surrounded the boarders of the Land of Dreams. They were usually the first and last line of defence against an attack from those on the dark side of the planet and worked in close co-operation with the Dreammaker. Using a powerful orb, the Dreammaker was able to establish a connection between him and the Wutt leader, Pildet, who carried his communication orb atop a long wooden staff. In stark contrast to the Dreammaker's calm, Albert flitted erratically around in a spontaneous burst of bubbles. Pildet instantly knew there was a problem.

"Whatever is the matter?" he asked almost implying he knew the answer.

"Oh Pildet, it's a disaster. Iphigenia landed here this morning, and I gave her sanctuary…silly old fool, and now the Urpneys have the Dream Stone!" replied the Dreammaker, still creating the illusion of little panic, in spite of his shaky voice.

"I shall dispatch my Wutts to Viltheed at once…and who is Iphigenia?" Pildet asked as a confused afterthought.

"A servant of darkness. The one of whom the prophecies speak…"

"Then this means Zordrak's victory is imminent," gasped Pildet, a darkened look creeping across his face.

"We don't know that for certain…the actual translation reads that his victory is more likely under specific circumstances, but proceed with caution Pildet, if the final battle is to be fought, then we CAN be certain that many will die!"

"I understand, I will begin preparations for the final battle…I suggest that you do the same, I will be in touch Dreammaker" and with that Pildet's image faded from the orb and the Dreammaker let out a weary sigh, floating backwards to stare at the open bookcase. Albert obediently brought a soft chair for the Dreammaker to fall into and whined at his master's defeatist stance. Sheepishly, Rufus came forward and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry," he said, expecting a torrential downpour of abuse.

"It was always going to happen, ultimately fate is not your fault Rufus. I just didn't expect this to happen so soon…" replied the Dreammaker, smoothing a hand down his face and beard.

"Sir, what's the prophecy…what's the final battle?" asked Amberley.

"I truly can not tell you that, this is not the time. Pildet will explain…and I regret the circumstances of his explanation so much, I want you to know that I do not see the Noops the way that Zordrak treats Urpneys, but it's the only way,"

"What is?" chorused both Rufus and Amberley.

"You two, and any other Noop who can be spared, must travel to the Wutts at once. Pildet is going to need a much bigger army…"

* * *

The Whirlyped touched down at the base of the Black Mountain, glistening a brilliant red under the bloody evening sky. Although the Land of Nightmares was always dark, there were subtle differences in its nature according to the time of day. The Red Planet of Doom had risen across the sky like a sun, and now it was sinking behind the outer most chasms and mountains of this desolate land. In its death throes at the end of a Viltheedian day, it tainted everything with its evil, luminous glow.

Iphigenia was forced off the Whirlyped by Blob, who jabbed her in the lower back with a grubby finger. Nug had left just enough rope to hold onto, so that Iphigenia could be pulled along against her will. It was Blob who decided to take this rope in his hand and harshly tug at it, scraping the entire rope against Iphigenia's uncovered skin from her elbow to her hands. The pressure from the rope had also caused the top part of her robes to ride up her back, exposing her midriff. Having barely recovered from the near-death experience of being squeezed by Zordrak, Iphigenia's ribs and abdomen were failing to cope with this new pain. Every step caused her to flinch.

"Oh I wonder if anyone else is going to come and revel in my predicament…oh never mind here's Urpgor now. How unexpected!" Iphigenia pondered to herself, defiantly stopping in front of the scientist who was just inside the entrance to Viltheed sniggering. Even though her bonds forced her to stoop, Iphigenia took pleasure in the fact that she was still taller than any Urpney and used this thought to muster enough strength to deal with Urpgor's gloating. He had probably been waiting years for a moment like this.

"Don't think you'll get out of this one your ladyship! Soon…I will be the master's favourite again and you'll be dead!" he sneered, following his proclamation with a loud rattle of laughter.

"Oh please, everyone knows that you covet control of this mountain…it's no secret. Zordrak will never trust you, NEVER!" Iphigenia spat back. Urpgor's laughter ceased and he furrowed his brow, baring his teeth in anger.

"You're in no position to gloat your ladyship!" he said, pointing a finger at her "…remember that!"

"Come along your madam, mustn't keep his lordship waiting…" Blob piped up suddenly…pulling on the rope and forcing Iphigenia away from Urpgor who had already disappeared into the mountain, undoubtedly so that he could get to the throne room first. Iphigenia smiled to herself, and boldly stepped into the gloom.

* * *

She was dragged rather unceremoniously along the walk away and then stopped halfway so that Frizz and Nug could untie her bounds. Afterwards, both Urpgor and Blob rushed to her, eager to be the one who humiliated her further. In a moment of rare cooperation they grabbed a wrist each and pulled her forward.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" growled Iphigenia, only to be flung to her knees at the end of the walkway with such force that she found herself flattened against the ground. This time, she was shaking so much that hiding it was near impossible. She whined to herself, reluctantly raising her upper body from the ground and covering her face with her hands. She only lifted herself far enough to be kneeling and swallowed hard. Without even looking she sensed that Zordrak had moved one of his huge hands in close proximity with her head. She did not try to resist when he used one clawed finger to remove both her hands from her face. Slowly, she lifted her head completely and visibly winced when she saw the look of sheer anger staring back at her. In one swift movement, Zordrak raked a talon across Iphigenia's left cheek, drawing blood instantly and hurting so much that she crumpled back to the floor.

"How DARE YOU!" he bellowed with such force that all the Urpneys present found themselves back against the nearest wall.

"Please let me explain master!" Iphigenia cried, half lifting her head and touching a hand to her cheek, mostly to stop the blood but partly to hide her tears. It seems that her previous disobedience had used up her get out of jail card. Zordrak was clearly in no mood to negotiate. Heartlessly, he picked her up by the hair and without a pause, flung her back down the walkway like a rag doll. A small sound escaped her as she hit the hard floor but Iphigenia made no attempt to speak. In all the commotion, nobody noticed the audible clink as her bag landed next to her. The stone managed to remain hidden. Iphigenia's maid, Cassandra rushed toward her and cradled her head.

"Please your lordship! Forgive me for speaking out of turn…but you'll kill her!" pleaded the only female Urpney who had access to the throne room. Zordrak touched a hand to his chin and paused for thought. Cassandra looked around her and found nothing but confused faces staring back. She had expected to be punished; yet nobody's expression could explain to her why she had remained unscathed.

"Hmm…no, she must not die. She must suffer greatly, but she must not die," said Zordrak, toning down the volume slightly. At the same time, Iphigenia propped herself onto her elbow and used her other hand as leverage, managing to stumble to her feet in spite of being in obvious pain. Her body was bruised all over and she was certain one of her ribs was now cracked. Inhaling was proving difficult, and so her breathing was in irregular short bursts. Cassandra affectionately wrapped her short fingers around one of Iphigenia's wrists and squeezed lightly with a smile.

"Before…oww…before you punish me, sir…" said Iphigenia, clutching her stomach "…I have a gift," she bent down slightly to pick up her bag, hissing through her teeth as a sharp stabbing pain radiated from her lower back. After putting the bag back across her shoulder, she walked forward with her head dropped and her shoulders lowered.

"This…better be good" replied Zordrak, stretching out the fingers on his left hand and looking at them in a way that indicated his indifference towards Iphigenia's attempts to build bridges. The Urpneys knew that _this better be good_ roughly translated as _I'm not changing my mind_, few things could sway the Lord of Nightmares when he had reached a decision…except maybe this.

An eerie silence blanketed the throne room, followed by a collective gasp of every Urpney present, as a shimmering light began to emerge from Iphigenia's bag. It coated her battered skin a soft yellow, and flecks of white sparkles danced around the shadows where candlelight failed to reach. Iphigenia cupped her hands together and raised the familiar form of the Dream Stone to chest height. At first Zordrak's expression remained unchanged, but suddenly his horrible red eyes widened in surprise and greed.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, causing Iphigenia to roll her eyes at the obviousness of the situation.

"I stole it. Those…Noops, they offered me sanctuary because they believed I was on the run, but I was their enemy all along. So I hid in the tower…and I stole it. It was all to please you, your lordship" said Iphigenia coolly, raising the stone even higher so that he could take it.

"She's lying! It's all lies! Master…can't you see?" screeched Urpgor literally jumping up and down on the spot. Iphigenia burst out laughing and turned toward him, sticking out her tongue.

"I guess you'll have to wait for me to die naturally Urpgor!"

"Enough!" roared Zordrak, taking the Dream Stone between his finger and thumb. Were it not for the glow that the stone emitted, it would hardly be visible in his grasp. It was no larger than a pebble resting in his palm. "You pathetic fools…" he mused "a task so simple that an 18 year-old _female_ Earth dweller can successfully complete it. After countless failed attempts, your incompetence is more evident through the actions of my most trusted servant!"

"What's Earth?" asked Nug, quickly covering his mouth a little too late.

"It's my home planet, you idiot!" hissed Iphigenia.

"What's a planet then?" asked another Urpney. Both Iphigenia and Zordrak rolled their eyes, the latter growling with frustration.

"I'm surrounded by imbeciles!" groaned Urpgor.

"Finally, we agree on something!"

"Silence Iphigenia! Behold…I will not repeat past mistakes in allowing this stone to retain its true form…" and with that, Zordrak raised his other hand, a bolt of energy emitting from his palm and covering the stone with an electrical charge that soon manifested itself as a dark grey solid. This new coat began to creep up the sides of the crystal, until its last shaft of light was engulfed as the new material met and meshed together. For the first time in its existence, the Dream Stone was exactly that…a lifeless, grey, stone. With the Dream Stone still clutched in his palm, Zordrak then moved his free hand over Iphigenia. This time a bolt with a purple hue escaped his palm and surrounded Iphigenia's body. In spite of its appearance as a lightning strike, it did not cause her any pain. The energy simply crept along her skin, healing the torn and bruised flesh. On the inside she could feel her bones grow stronger again. As the light around her died down, she let out an appreciative sigh.

"Thank you" she said with a curtsey.

"Iphigenia! This…is my gift to you. Take this as the most valued piece of your statue collection, take it to your chambers and let it remain there, gathering dust"

"You're giving it to HER?" exclaimed Urpgor.

"Shut up Urpgor, unless you want to be the second most valued addition to my statue collection!" snapped Iphigenia. She gladly accepted the stone and placed it back in her bag.

"Now…go. All of you!" said Zordrak, his eyes flashing a deep red. Iphigenia curtseyed again and left the throne room without a word.

* * *

So now Iphigenia was back where she started, in her bedroom standing on her balcony and overlooking the Viltheedian plains. It was definitely nighttime now, it was colder than normal outside and the Red Planet of Doom had long since set behind the mountain. She had placed the stone in an ornate box and set it on her marble desk, next to the jewel box that she had relocated from the floor. Now she was leaning against the lip of her balcony, lost in her own thoughts.

Zordrak wasted no time in sending out the Argorribles. Iphigenia observed them pouring out of the mountain entrance through the mouth and eyes of the dragon carving. They moved together as one mass of purple mist and glided across the rocky terrain below. The Mist of Limbo was visible in the distance and Argorribles moved quickly. They would be in the Land of Dreams in a matter of minutes. As she watched them merge into the darkness ahead, she was overcome by a distinct sense of helplessness. Upon further reflection she realised it was more than that. For the first time in her short life, Iphigenia was experiencing guilt.


	9. Visions

A/N: The Dreammaker is probably going to have a reduced role for the next few chapters. It's not that I don't like him, it's just that I feel it's more in character. Whenever the Dream Stone went missing he just tended to filt around saying "oh dear!" and left it up to everyone else to get it back. Though obviously, when he did have to do something himself he was clearly more powerful than the enemy!

**Chapter seven:**

While night was in its death throes in Viltheed, evening was staking a claim on the Land of Dreams. In the rapidly fading twilight, two Noops moved wearily towards the Forest of the Wutts. As the Dreammaker's helpers, it was up to Rufus and Amberley to take charge of the Noop division of any offensive sent to Viltheed. First, they had to report to Pildet, a task made all the more ominous given the darkening sky and the knowledge that there was no Dream Stone to protect them should they eventually sleep.

"How do you know we're going to Viltheed anyway?" asked Rufus to break the silence. Amberley simply huffed to begin with and stomped her feet. "You're not still mad with me? It was a prophecy!"

"That makes it better does it? The Dreammaker told me prophecies can be avoided if you're careful, and you certainly weren't!" snapped Amberley.

"I'm sorry…"

"Well then, everything's ok now isn't it? You're sorry, marvellous!"

"Now Amberley…" came a new but familiar voice "the Dreammaker has admitted he was just as at fault. He knew that a female who was not an Urpney would snatch the stone, yet let his emotions get the better of him. That's the problem with prophecies, you don't know when they'll actually happen" said the owner of the voice as two leaf shaped feet emerged from the tall undergrowth, belonging to the slender almost plant-like form of Pildet.

"Pildet, we're so pleased to see you!" replied Amberley, rushing to hug his legs. Rufus plodded behind her, ears permanently flattened to his hairline and his face painted with a frown.

"And I am too, but I wish it was under more pleasant circumstances…come we must rest for the night" replied Pildet, touching the globe on his staff to the base of a tree, which formed a staircase of leaves spiralling to the top most branches. As the three figures ascended, Rufus couldn't help noticing how the night seemed more vicious, it strangled every little bit of lush green in its path and cast nightmarish shadows. Rufus had experienced this feeling every time the Argorribles were near. He knew he would not sleep well tonight.

* * *

Iphigenia was floating. She could smell such wonderful smells and hear beautiful music, singing to her in sweet melody that was like honey for her ears. Opening her eyes she was falling, fluffy clouds licking tenderly at her skin, which prickled with goose bumps. Yet these were not caused by fear, it was a pleasant sensation that allowed her flesh to echo the sentiments of the music washing over her senses like ever-flowing water. She saw so many different colours beneath her as deep green meadows stretched for miles all covered in every flower she could imagine. She looked above to see a sky of brilliant blue as he bare feet found the soft grass below.

For a moment, she was confused. She didn't remember removing her sandals, in fact…the last thing she remembered was trying to get some sleep! Suddenly she panicked, trying to scream _where am I?_ For some reason, the words did not come and she turned with the intention of running. She found herself staring into the faces of her parents…

Iphigenia gasped and sat bolt upright in bed. She automatically rolled over to the opposite side of her bed and clicked her fingers above her bedside candle. The flame lit the room poorly, but it gave enough light for her to gather her thoughts. She had no idea what had just happened, but she knew it wasn't really possible to be transported to another world. In order to seize her in the first place, Zordrak had apparently used up an enormous amount of energy and had spent several weeks recovering. For those few weeks, the only room Iphigenia saw in Viltheed was a prison cell. At six years old, it forced her to toughen up to the point where her first proper meeting with Zordrak was nowhere near as bad as the night she was taken. Those thoughts were soon pushed to one side as she realised she was not alone, out of the corner of her eye she detected a tall figure standing in the shadows. It was much too tall to be an Urpney and much too slender to be Zordrak using a shrinking spell.

"Shh! Don't scream!" a tender female voice whispered in desperation as Iphigenia's lips parted and she inhaled a large quantity of air. "I'm not here to hurt you"

"Who…who are you?" stammered the now frightened young woman, reaching for her dagger.

"I'm nobody…but you, that was a really impressive way of lighting a candle, you must be really talented" said the anonymous voice, blatantly dodging the question.

"My master gave me a small fraction of his powers as a gift, I'm not supposed to use them…" replied Iphigenia, still uncertain of her guest's intentions.

"Why ever not?"

"It is forbidden…did you just take me back to Earth?" asked Iphigenia.

"No" replied the voice, its owner shifting her weight slightly and scuffing a foot across the floor "you were in your bed, you were dreaming"

"That was a dream?" queried Iphigenia, throwing back the numerous thick blankets and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed "I never dream. I just sleep. His lordship blocked my mind from so much…" her voice began to break. The realisation that she had just experienced a dream began to overwhelm her, she was unable to fight the water gathering at the base of her eyes. Her lips began to tremble as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "NO! He's heard me…I shouldn't have said that!"

"He can't hear you. Not while I'm here. He thinks you're sleeping" the voice assured her. "Don't you remember dreams?"

"No. The last time I saw an image in my sleep…it was Zordrak. He appeared and scared me awake"

"Is that how you ended up here?" the voice asked, in a tone of genuine interest.

"Yes. I heard voices outside my window. I opened it to look outside and an invisible force made me fall out of it, I fell from the top floor but I was uninjured…it was as though I floated down" Iphigenia paused to swallow, mentally hitting a brick wall.

"I appreciate it's hard to recall something you wish to forget"

"I…I saw an Urpney. I didn't know what it was, but I followed it…round to the fields near my house. Then I saw a crater like in my dream…nightmare. He rose up out of it and grabbed me" she blurted in stream of consciousness, barely able to stop for a breath. "I was so scared…I think I fainted"

"Anyone would faint in that situation" said the voice "but I'm afraid dear Iphigenia, I must leave you now…it's almost your day time, when Doom rises my powers will be no match for his"

"Don't go!" Iphigenia cried out, but it was futile. The shadowy figure had disappeared, a faint _goodbye_ echoing around the lonely walls of Iphigenia's bedroom. With a sigh, she threw her legs back onto the bed and fell violently back onto her pillows. She did not sleep, she simply waited for the morning bell.

* * *

Rufus was flying. He knew for certain he was dreaming but was quite surprised. So far, nothing terrible had happened. It was a normal, pleasant dream. He was soaring through the skies on a large broad leaf alongside a number of Wutts. They were surrounding him as though they were an entourage. However, the dream quickly turned sour. Soon they reached the storm clouds that formed the Mist of Limbo and quite rapidly afterwards the foreboding shape of the Black Mountain rose up out of the horizon, the red disc behind it illuminating the skyline like a devilish halo.

Rufus and the Wutts had almost reached Viltheed when a shower of arrows shot up from the ground in a continuous stream of wickedly sharp iron. Several of the Wutts were hit and instantly lost their balance, falling from their leaves and undoubtedly to their deaths. Looking down, Rufus saw the source of the problem. Urpneys were arranged in perfect ranks of equal number, the front lines all holding bows already reloaded with fresh arrows. Pildet called for evasive manoeuvres and Rufus found himself almost skimming across the dirt to avoid another deadly shower. Suddenly he was flying over a part of Viltheed he didn't recognise and Iphigenia was suspended in the air, her hair being flicked unevenly around her face and over her shoulders by the slight breeze. She saw Rufus and grinned as he approached. In her hands was the shimmering Dream Stone and without warning, she slammed her palms together shattering the stone into thousands of tiny fragments.

"No!" Rufus screamed, as he was seemingly no longer in control of his leaf. He sped straight past Iphigenia and toward a canyon far behind the shadow of Viltheed. A curtain of fire burst forth from underground and with an ear-splitting roar, Zordrak rose from the canyon, leaning forward with his claws curled and reaching towards Rufus. As Rufus flew closer, the Lord of Nightmares snapped his jaws as though me meant to swallow this helpless Noop alive…

With a real scream, Rufus awoke rather abruptly in his hammock. Amberley and the Wutts surrounding him were shocked into consciousness and crowded Rufus, visibly worried about him.

"I had a nightmare!" he wailed. Taking the small bowl silently offered to him by a female Wutt.

"It's tea…drink up, it'll calm your nerves" said Pildet "and yes, we guessed you did…there's Argorribles all over the forest" after he'd finished speaking, he motioned for the others to leave Rufus in peace and sat cross-legged on the floor beside Rufus's hammock.

"Am I going to die Pildet?" asked Rufus.

"No! Whatever makes you think that?" scoffed Pildet.

"Well in my nightmare I did…I flew into Zordrak and he ate me!"

"He ATE you?" exclaimed Amberley, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Be quiet Amberley and try go back to sleep…Rufus, what exactly happened in your dream?" asked Pildet, a chill running through his entire body at the mere thought that Zordrak could personally appear in nightmares.

"We were flying towards Viltheed and Urpneys attacked. A lot of Wutts died. Oh and Iphigenia shattered the Dream Stone…" replied Rufus, closing his eyes and willing his still speeding heart beat to decrease.

"And then you were attacked by Zordrak?" Rufus nodded in reply, taking a long slip from his tea. His nerves felt instantly soothed and his body relaxed. "Hmm…I've never known Argorribles to act so independently before. It's as though they're showing us the more unfavourable outcome of the prophecy…"

"There's more the one outcome?" Amberley chipped in, genuinely surprised.

"Of course! Sometimes a prophecy only tells you what is going to happen, it doesn't always reveal a definite outcome…if that makes sense? Basically, Iphigenia's involvement in Rufus's dream was merely symbolic. She won't destroy the Dream Stone…but the main prophecy speaks of a female thief whose allegiance will determine the final outcome"

"Meaning?" asked Amberley.

"Meaning our only hope is to somehow convince Iphigenia to commit an act of treason…"


End file.
